Rolling Readers

Every week without fail, Irene Corey goes to Herbert Ibarra Elementary School in San Diego’s City Heights’ neighborhood to inspire 25 children to learn to read. 205 other Rolling Readers’ volunteers like Irene visit 214 elementary classrooms throughout San Diego County on a weekly basis. Thanks to these volunteers, 6,500 low-income San Diego children are inspired to become readers and overcome the challenges of living in poverty.

Twenty-two years ago, Rolling Readers was founded with the belief that with just a couple of staff to manage, an army of volunteers could make a difference in the lives of our children. This army of Rolling Readers lives throughout San Diego County, but they have this in common: they travel every week during the school year to one of San Diego’s poorest neighborhoods to read aloud to the same classroom of children. This weekly model of commitment, selflessness, and caring is as important as sharing a love of reading in transforming these children into eager readers and lifelong learners.